Kate Couric Did It

Head cheese. Bryant Gumbel is serving head cheese to Katherine Couric. It's a Wednesday morning and it's filler time, bridge time, a bit of collegial bonhomie on a day that includes stories about racism in America, the new L.A. police chief, and a man with a baboon liver in his body. And here is Gumbel, the Today show's sure and polished anchor of 10 years, holding out a plate of crackers and — eww, what's in it? — to his new and energetic co-anchor of 15 months.

''Try it, come on, it's good, try it!'' Gumbel urges, grinning. Couric accepts, doubting. The stuff is awful, vile beyond joking, a gelatinous specialty made from pig parts. She grimaces and scrunches her eyes, shakes her head, works her jaw — and finishes the transaction with a do-you-believe-I'm-doing-this? smile.

''Stay on Katie, stay on Katie, stay with her!'' whoops Today's executive producer Jeff Zucker in the control room to director Bucky Gunts as the camera zooms in on her horrified face and everyone in the room laughs, exhilarated, alert. ''Run it again!'' he shouts.

That Wednesday, the venerable, 40-year-old Today show, an American tradition, the mother of all morning shows, which once had a chimpanzee as a featured player, closes with a slow-motion replay of the respected 35-year-old journalist, broadcaster, and great hope for NBC's morning ratings as she charms viewers and pays attention to timing cues and tries to get the taste of head cheese out of her teeth.

''See that? That's what I want more of, that spontaneity,'' says Zucker, waving a hand and chewing on a plastic coffee stirrer. ''Katie's the most natural person I've ever seen in this role. She's terrific. This is so new to her and she's getting better every day. She doesn't even realize how good she is.''